“The rise in deaths is largely due to the growing popularity of powerful prescription pain and anxiety drugs, which are often highly addictive and dangerous when combined with other drugs or alcohol. Prescription drugs now account for more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.”

Ten common prescription drugs have been shown to increase violence by 8 to 18 times more than other pharmaceuticals. A study done by multiple agencies has determined the ten worst that include antidepressants, anti anxiety medications and SSRIs in addition to a malaria medication and a stop smoking drug. While the stop smoking aid is almost understandable (who doesn’t go a bit nuts when quitting smoking?) it is sad to see that medications that are meant to calm and balance people are instead putting them at a dramatic risk for normally uncharacteristic violence behavior towards others. My question is how many of these patients are taken off the drugs that caused an increase in erratic and violent behavior versus how many are given a higher dose or an additional mix of medications in an attempt to deal with the original side effects?

A recent study has shown a correlation between the use of antidepressant drugs and a long term risk of obesity. Now you might say “Well of course if people are prone to depression they’ll eat more”, but how does that explain the weight gain of the rats in the experiments? It’s unlikely that they were actually seeking depression treatment when they were given the drugs.

This finding is worth noting with America’s booms in weight gain and prescription medication usage. A holistic approach to medicine focuses on healthy living as prevention, with significant weight gain being a primary cause of many illnesses. Is this the case of the side effects of one medication turning people into pharmaceutical patients for life as a short term stint with depression becomes a long path of increased risk of obesity and all of the health issues that can go with it?

“After two decades of research exploring the mysteries cloaking these debilitating conditions which now account for a massive burden of disease two Canberra-based researchers from Brazil believe they have found the evidence of an insidious connection. The team found in tests with laboratory rats that short-term anti-depressant treatment may be an enduring cause of obesity, even a long time after treatment is discontinued.”